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When they tell us that a certain cold star is more benevolent
to us in proportion as it is further away, they clearly make its
harmful influence depend upon the coldness of its nature; and yet
it ought to be beneficent to us when it is in the opposed
Zodiacal figures.
When the cold planet, we are told, is in opposition to the cold,
both become meanacing: but the natural effect would be a
compromise.
And we are asked to believe that one of them is happy by day and
grows kindly under the warmth, while another, of a fiery nature,
is most cheerful by night- as if it were not always day to them,
light to them, and as if the first one could be darkened by night
at that great distance above the earth's shadow.
Then there is the notion that the moon, in conjunction with a
certain star, is softened at her full but is malignant in the
same conjunction when her light has waned; yet, if anything of
this order could be admitted, the very opposite would be the
case. For when she is full to us she must be dark on the further
hemisphere, that is to that star which stands above her; and when
dark to us she is full to that other star, upon which only then,
on the contrary, does she look with her light. To the moon
itself, in fact, it can make no difference in what aspect she
stands, for she is always lit on the upper or on the under half:
to the other star, the warmth from the moon, of which they speak,
might make a difference; but that warmth would reach it precisely
when the moon is without light to us; at its darkest to us it is
full to that other, and therefore beneficent. The darkness of the
moon to us is of moment to the earth, but brings no trouble to
the planet above. That planet, it is alleged, can give no help on
account of its remoteness and therefore seems less well disposed;
but the moon at its full suffices to the lower realm so that the
distance of the other is of no importance. When the moon, though
dark to us, is in aspect with the Fiery Star she is held to be
favourable: the reason alleged is that the force of Mars is
all-sufficient since it contains more fire than it needs.
The truth is that while the material emanations from the living
beings of the heavenly system are of various degrees of warmth-
planet differing from planet in this respect- no cold comes from
them: the nature of the space in which they have their being is
voucher for that.
The star known as Jupiter includes a due measure of fire [and
warmth], in this resembling the Morning-star and therefore
seeming to be in alliance with it. In aspect with what is known
as the Fiery Star, Jupiter is beneficent by virtue of the mixing
of influences: in aspect with Saturn unfriendly by dint of
distance. Mercury, it would seem, is indifferent whatever stars
it be in aspect with; for it adopts any and every character.
But all the stars are serviceable to the Universe, and therefore
can stand to each other only as the service of the Universe
demands, in a harmony like that observed in the members of any
one animal form. They exist essentially for the purpose of the
Universe, just as the gall exists for the purposes of the body as
a whole not less than for its own immediate function: it is to be
the inciter of the animal spirits but without allowing the entire
organism and its own especial region to run riot. Some such
balance of function was indispensable in the All- bitter with
sweet. There must be differentiation- eyes and so forth- but all
the members will be in sympathy with the entire animal frame to
which they belong. Only so can there be a unity and a total
harmony.
And in such a total, analogy will make every part a Sign.
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